Former F1 driver proposes Hamilton Mercedes ban

Former Ferrari driver Ivan Capelli believes Mercedes will have to impose a ban on Lewis Hamilton midway through the new F1 season ahead of his move to the Scuderia.

The seven-time F1 World Champion will make the switch to Ferrari for next season after an announcement ahead of the upcoming campaign, bringing an end to his career-long association with Mercedes.

With Mercedes leaning on Hamilton to assist with the development of its machinery after two difficult years, during which time it has secured just a single victory, Capelli believes things will have to change in engineering meetings moving forward.

This is so that sensitive information can't be poached by Hamilton and taken to Maranello next season.

Further change to come?

Speaking to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Capelli said: "If I were Mercedes, I would ban him from taking the phone into the garage from mid-season to be on the safe side.

"The closer they get to the end of the working relationship, the less Mercedes will give information to Hamilton.

"Still, Hamilton himself will certainly give everything all season."

On the impact Hamilton will make in Italy, Capelli added: "He has understood what Ferrari means.

"He will come with new energy. He will bring experience, enthusiasm, and perhaps some engineers, perhaps with some of them who never believed Ferrari would change. Perhaps also an engineer whose name begins with an N [Red Bull CTO Adrian Newey]."